Machine for forming seaming strips



`lune 21, 1932. G. E. SNOW MACHINE FOR FORMING SEAMING STRIPS Filed Jan. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOK ATTO EYS.

June 21, 1932. Q E, SNOW MACHINE FOR FORMING SEAMING STRIPS Filed Jan. 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented .lune 21, 1932 Latini geen at sNovr, oFMANCHESTER,coNNEcfaioUnrnssie-Noa No onNonnsoAr T3 COMPANY, iNc., oniiiANoHnsTEa, CONNECTICUT, econronarion on CONNECTICUT -:MACHINE FORFORMING- SEAT/IIN G STRIPS Application led'J'anuary 3, 1930. Serial No. 418,189. y

' rlhe invention Yrelates to dic-'operating mechanism and to combinations of associated mcchan ism therenvith,A and though *of-f wider Yapplication, is primarily designed as avsube stitute for the seaniingstrip side-foriner-dieoperating means 1shown in theapplication of `Victor Hendrickson for machine for forming composite can bodies, Serial No. 39,903,'filed J une 27 1925, now `Patent No. 1,807,843, June 102:2, 1931, and; in his application Serial No. 147,670, vfiled November' 11, 1926,*towhich machine the present inventionis'shown as applied. Much of the said machine has,how ever, been oniitted as having nothing todo 15 with `the present invention, or indicatedniore or less diagranimatically in view offthe complete disclosure and descriptioiiinoneorboth of said applications, to'which referenceinjay be had for further details of the-said machine. T he primary object of the invention Ais to provide comp actl and effective die-operating mechanism having power means Vfor-retracting the dies, or thediewhen but vone of the i dies is inovable,`including power operated connection to the dies for positively'retracting them to predetermined, separated positions, within the limitsof thepower stroke, in which positions they actas accurately placed guides for strips'fedalong and Ybei'- tweenthennsaid connections being .eXtensible in the remainder of the r'etia'ctile stroke, and holding the dies VfiXedin the'said positions during the periods Iin which the strip feed occurs. The invention is, hon-ever,"also lcon- 5 cerned with providing power'. die-.retracting extensible connections, regardless of other features, having spring means thereinsubject to power stress and capable of temporary deformation thereby on the retractile stroke. "5 The invention further has to do with the location Vof the die-operating. devices and the nature of the operative connections including the extensible couplings interposedtherein. The invention, therefore, consists in the novel subject mattei', illustrated inthe drawings and described in the'specification, orapparent therefrom to those skilled in the: art, and which is set forth in the appended claims, which indicate the scope of the invention. It will be understood that the invention may be lthrough the forming, dies showing stages *of the". forming operation succeeding that illus- 'tratedin'Fig 3, Fig. 5 beingin part` diagrammatic plicationstthe tin seaining strip used 'as the Vforfeeding the initially formed strip and the .finished 'strip endwise from station A to staother-wise embodied,- and that, except asspecif fied `in certain of the claims, it is noti to, be understood as restricted to the structure illusltrated.

Referring to the drawings: :g5

*Figssv 1 and 2, are, respectively, an incomplete elevation and a corresponding plan'of the' machine common to both said Hendrick- `'son applications, indicating the relative i0-,

cation of the new side-foi'iner-die-operating "60 nie'ans'in the machine.

Fig; 31s a cross section on line lll-*Illf -"Figs a and `5 'are incomplete sections `^65 :in ,this;as inboth the Hendrickson ap-` ineans'of'uniting the opposed edges of the `libre 'can body blank, is formed in two 'stages at'fstationsA and B, being given its initial :foi-m at it and its final form at'B. Blank storage vand feednieans forv conveying blanks "75 to the station A, Where they are sheared into .subi-blanks,.as well as initially formed, are

c.represented onlyby the arrows and y which indicate Vrespectively (Fig. 2l the main or initial feed .from the blank magazine and the'80 Ydirect feed to the stationA, furtherv illustravtion-being considered unnecessary, in view particularly of the full disclosure in the earlier of the Hendrickson applications. Means,8V

'.tionB, `and from station B down the.u line .have beenillustrated more or less diagramshaft 10 and to the crank shaft.

thereto and to shaft 9, meshing gears on shaft 9 and upright shaft 10 concealed by gear casing 11 and gears 12, 13, fast respectively to The shaft 6 may be directly driven by electric motor thereon, but the power, clutch and brake devices are preferably as shown in the Hendrickson applications. The partially formed strip a is next given the temporary intermediatie form Z) (Fig. 4) and then the final shape c. (Fig. 5) by the longitudinally slotted truncated die 14 on the fixed die block l5 mounted on table 2 at station B, with the cooperation of the presser 16 on crosshead 1 and the side. former dies 17 on side die blocks 18 slidable forward and back on the table 2 and on pairs of guide pins 19 fastened in die block 15, to which they are conveniently secured, at points near the base of the block equidistant from its central transverse plane, by inserting them through holes therein for which their middle part is a tight fit and driving themto final position in which their ends project outward from opposite sides of the block. Each side dieblock 18 is provided with a pair of correspondingly placed bores having correct sliding fit with the respective pins. This is a simple way of insuring accurate die movement. As in the later of the aforesaid Hendrickson applications, the maximum separation ofthe dies 17 is limited to a predetermined distance substantially the width of the strip to be fed between them, by adjustable stops 20 supported from the table, or other part of the frame, by stands 21 or brackets Q2 as may be more convenient. These stops are best located in the outward path of the die blocks themselves. For convenience of illustration to avoid confusion with other parts they are shown somewhat above the position they usually occupy substantially in line horizontally with the die actuating connections shortly to be described andwhich hold the dies in the predetermined positions of maximum separation while the blank is being fed past them. The former dies are thus made to act during the feeding asV correctly placed, fixed Vguides leaving just suiicient room between them for the blank or Vstrip to be fedk with due freedom and accuracy. This is important since the long and narrow character of the strip, fed by being pushed at the middle of one end exaggerates slight errors of angle and-produces a tendencyof the front end of the strip to tilt or ride up out of its normal path so as to cause jamming and interfere with proper operation. By adjusting the stops, the feed space may be made to have substantially the/same maximum dimension in the plane of the dies and between them as that of the intervening blank, just enough more than the said dimension to insure an easy sliding fit for the blank.

This utilization of the sidedies as correctly placed guides is an advance Von the earlier Hendrickson application wherein the spring pressed die-blocks, owing to necessary lost motion in the operating connections, followed said connections outward beyondthe proper guide position, but it is broadly speakblock 5 and thev side die blocks 17, there being no retractile power connection. There was, therefore, no certainty that the retraction of the dies might not be interfered with by'obstruction or sticking of a die block, or by weakening Aof a spring. f l

The present invention, on the contrary,

provides power means for positively retract-l 'ing the dies as well as for advanclng them,

thus insuring certain anduniform action. It includes in the power means extensible connections from the dies to the power capable of lengthening on the retractile stroke and of shortening on the forward stroke, the maximum separation of the dies being less than the: stroke. Spring means in the said connectionsbeing power operated hold the die blocks against the stops throughout the periods during which strips are fed.

Y The side die operating means of this application is very compact as compared with that of the two Hendrickson applications in each of which are included two rock shafts extending the length of stations A and B and other mechanism taking,r up considerable space, the actuation being through the overhead crosshead crank shaft 5. In the present case counter shaft 23 driven from shaft 9 by chain 24 has fixed thereto cams'25, 26 located side by side and positively connected by linkwork respectively to thev front side die block, i. e.

the one near the blank feed indicated by the arrow y, and to the other or rear side die block. On reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be -apparent that the cams and connections are located in or adjacent the central vertical plane transverse of the dies. The linkwork Y connecting cam 25 to the front die block, the

lefthand block in Fig, consists of a thrust bar 27 mounted to slide in bracket 28 secured to theframe and having a pin 29 and cam roller 30 on the pin, an adjustable and automatically extensible linkk having parts 31, 32 connected to each other by ,a special coupling .33 shortly tobe described and each having a yoke or bifurcated end receiving respectively and pivotally connected to, the end of the thrust bar 2T and that of lever 34 fulcrumed at 35 in bracket 36 mounted on the frame, and link 37 oneend'of which embraces and is pivotally secured by pin .38 to the upper end of lever 34 and the other pivotally connected to pin 39 fixed in the side die block 18, this link lying in .the centralfvertical plane ofthe' die gzblock. As indicated in Fig; 2, theupperend tothelever' 34 is'displaced tothe vrightinzthat jigure` so as toilie in the centra-l1 transverse nectingthe. other cam 26 to the rear die" block, "the one to the'rightinY Fig; 3,- consists of the -.-.l'everl 40ifulcrumedxat 41 .in bracket .42 on the frame and having pin 43 and cam roll Y44 connected to eachother by anotherzspecial "coupling 33 and `respectively embracingv and rpivotally connectedtotheupper end of llever I. 40. at 47. and pivotallysecured topin39 fixed 1611 inthe rearside dieblock.

.Thetupper end of the leverV 40.is displaced (to :the vleft in Figf2) so as to be 4in the cen- ;tral -verticalitransverse plane ofthe die blocks and todeliver its thrust and pull in thatplane Ei" wherein the links 37'and 45, 46 arepalso lo= seated. -The couplings 33 are identical, each 4.having opposed heads 33 adjustably supported. on :the screw-threaded endsof the re-` spective adjacent parts ofthelink, held from 125-r.el'ative .angular movement and urged toward N`'or into contactwithA each other .-by spring .means, but capable of axial separation, 4.though rigid against vthrust in `either direction. vEach head has aiset (as shown, apair) "1 V30-of pins or bolts 48 having collarsf49-located in #corresponding recesses and. secured by nuts 5(),the other end of veach pin extending freely through the other head.and.having concen- -trically mounted thereon a springl located '35 :in a recess `52 and reacting between thexnut f and washer 53,'-54 on the bolt andthe bottom .ofthe recess. These bolts maybe arranged, las shown,` 1n pairs -whose members 'iare di- Iametrically disposed, thererbeing-in the `cou- =40-plingillustrated two `such pairs, one carried by each-of the heads. The headsimay thus be identical, being merely Vturned'relatively A90" in assembling. The 'intensity of the .,spring'action may be variedby adjustment of 45 the nuts 53. vThrust and'lock nuts 55 are provided for each coupling on the link-members 32 and 46.

:Fig-3 Ishows the die blocks. '18 retracted against the stops 20 and held there bythe con- 150. tinuance Yof the retractile` stroke, vthe .stops .beingewithin the limits ofthe stroke,.which v Y.excess of movement of the connectionsafter .the dies have reached the exact positions in which they can best serve as'guides subjects 165 -the springs to stress tending toY deform them temporarily and to lengthen the connections as .shown in Fig. 3. In thistigure, the-ro- .tractile stroke has been completed and the vpower operated springs compressed-as fthe H connections lengthened on the separation of A@155.synchronizing with theV active periods ofthe endwise blank fee-d above ref-erred*V tov and `hereinafter' described more in detail. :The iixity ofthe dieswhen required to act'as' 1 guides is thus assured. It will be observed planev ofthe diegblocks. .Theilinkwork/con--- that in Fig. 3 the bulges 25 and 26 of the, cams are about to act on the cam rolls and connections, .the shortening of the connections :preceding the rigid thrust which advances i inthe-*dies from their guide positions inthe 1 11G thereon, the Vthrust linkhaving'parts. 45, 46

forming operation being about to occur. 1 liigfgg5` y4v illustrates the intermediate stage of the forming operation and Fig. 5 showsits completion, the heads 33 of the coupling being fin. contact and the retractile stroke being about to commence. During its rst part theage@ strength of the springs keeps the heads in contact underordinary circumstances, but

on obstruction of the die blocks, within the stroke limit, as by the stops, the continuance Vof the stroke subjects the springs to Vstressag by the power and lengthens the connections `thus permitting the necessary lostv motion,

0r cam overthrow, while maintaining `the iixity of the dies in their exactguide position during the endwise feed of the strip.

90 The power connections to this feed are as follows, shaft 6, gear 56, fast thereon, Vgear 57 -fast to counter shaft 58, eccentric 59 on the countershaft, bell crank 60, excessstrain release link 61, rod 62, crossheadv 63, to feedt`95 rod 64, which is thus reciprocated endwise of the feedway in the centrally located recess in the fixed die blocks shown in Figs. 3 to 5. -This rod 64 has, in its central longitudinal plane, a series of slots 65 in which are mount-510() -edthree suitably spaced pivoted feed dogs 66 which are thus located in the central longitudinal plane of the feedway and fixed die blocks and dies which are slotted at 67 in this plane to permit the operation ofthe-'feed dogs 105 which are moved by the rod endwise in this slot. 4Springs 68 serve to project the dogsin advance of their feed operation intolfeed position and slide69 which is adapted for reciprocation endwise and also up and down 110 in said slot 67 positively retracts the dogs whenmoved up and allows the springs to project them when it is moved down. -This slide 69 has notches in its lower edge leach having an incline 7() and a horizontal portion 1115 7l andis supported by fixed pins .72, on which the straight or the-notched portions of its lower edge rest as the case may be. The reciprocation of the feed rod 64, near the end `of each stroke, brings the lug 73 or the lug 4120 74 on the rod, as the case may be, into Contact with a projection 75 on the slide 69, the end- -the'construction and spacing being the same and there being nothing new per se in the-se features. 12130 tions from the reciprocable die to said shaft comprising a pair of axially aligned heads fixed against angular movement relatively to each other and opposing to each othery plane faces in a common plane transverse to their Y common axis and each havinglongitudinal guide pins fast to it and extending freely through the other and'spring means interposed between said respective heads and pins. 2. Apparatus of the character described ycomprising a pair of dies one of which is linearly reciprocable toward and from the other, a power shaft, and die-reciprocating connections from the reciprocable die to said power shaft including a linearly reciprocable c-omposite link having aligned members, opposed heads adjustably mounted on adjacent ends of said members, respective sets of longitudinal pins secured to one of said heads and extending freely through the other, the pins of each set having coaxial springs held thereon and located respectively in cavities in the head through which the free ends of the pins project and each adapted to react between its pin and head. Y

3. Apparatus of the `character described comprising side former dies, stops limiting their separation to substantially the width of the blank to be acted on by the'dies, power means and operative connections therefrom to the dies for advancing said dies to form the blank and for retracting them to positions determined by said stops, said connec tions having incorporated therein and subject to movement of translation therewith spring means operated by said power means for holding the dies, during recurring predetermined periods, in said predetermined positions, and means for feeding blanks ends wise between and in guiding contact with said side dies while they are so held.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of dies, power means including operative connections for positively advancing and retracting said dies, stops limiting the retraction of said dies to less than the power stroke, said connections including spring means subject to movement of translation therewith for holding said dies, between each retraction and the next advancement, fixed in the positions predetermined by said stops, and means for feeding a blank edgewise along and between said dies and in guiding contact therewith while they are thus fixed.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a relatively long and narrow feed way, longitudinally extending strip-forming dies iianking said feed way, power driven means including extensible spring connections to said dies for positively advancing and retracting them, stop means limiting the extent of the retractionof the dies to less than that of certain parts of the extensible connections located between the stops and the power, and means to feed a strip by pushing it endwise along said feed way bet-Ween said side dies and in guiding contact therewith.

when in their positions of maximum but limited separation.

6. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of dies, power means, yconnections positively connecting said power means to said dies for Yreciprocating them toward and from eachv other, stop means limiting the maximum' separation of said dies to substantially the maximum' dimension of the blank in the operativeplane of the dies and between them, said power means and operative connections between the power and the dies eiecting the separation of said dies,

and maintaining them fixed,during predetermined regularly recurring periods, in the positions predetermined by the stop means, means for feeding a blank between said dies when in said fixed positions wherein they act as accurately placed guides for the blank being fed, and spring means in the connections between said dies and power means and subject to movement of translation with said connection and to temporary deformation and yielding on the retraction stroke on blocking by the stop means of the movement sive blanks endwise between and in guiding contact with the die faces during said predetermined periods.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a feedway, a pair of'die'srflanking the feedway, stops for determining the extent of separation of the dies, vand power means for advancing and for retracting said dies comprising a power shaft, and extensible operative connections therefrom to each of said dies having interposed therein spring means capable of temporary deformation on the retractile stroke to lengthen theV connections and permit overthrow` after the stops have come into play andrigid abutment members coming into contactwith eac-h other on: the active or blank forming stroke of the dies.v

9. In apparatus of the character described, a linearly reciprocable die, power means including axially reciprocable operative connections, an 'extensible coupling in said connections having permanently axially aligned opposed heads and spring means urging opposed Jfaces of said heads into contact for rigid thrust on the forming die stroke but yieldable on the retractile stroke to permit their'limited separation and the lengthening of the connections.

l0. Apparatus of the character described comprising dies one of Which is reciprocable toward and from the other, power means, and die-operating reciprocable connections therefrom to one of the dies, and stop means limiting the retractile stroke of the die, said connections including members rigidly connect-ed respectively to the die and to the power means and comprising also opposed abutting heads fast respectively to said respective members and providing rigid resistance to thrust in either direction, said heads having lost motion connection permittingV theirv limited separation and the lengthening of the connections on the retractile stroke on die obstruction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specication.

GEORGE E. SNOW. 

